


Space Boy

by SlaveToMyKeyboard



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Future, Dib is in his 20s, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Humans know about aliens, Intergalactic Academy, M/M, Slow Burn, So are all the other characters, Zim is biologically similar for an Irken, Zim never went to Earth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 11:19:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10615815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlaveToMyKeyboard/pseuds/SlaveToMyKeyboard
Summary: Getting rejected from the invader force is bad enough on it's own. But being reassigned to an information retrieval mission at some institute ofpeaceandlearning?Zim almost wishes he'd just been exiled to foodcourtia instead. At least there he wouldn't have to deal with humans like the insufferable dirt monkey,Dib.





	

~*~*~

_Operative ZIM,_

_You are being assigned a special mission; to gather intelligence on our enemies in a non-combative environment. Learn their weaknesses and gain as much information as you can before the natural termination of your assignment in thirty cycles, or approximately 1098 rotations of the planet that your habitat station will orbit._

_As part of your integration into this ‘Intergalactic Academy’ you will be required to attend classes on all manner of topics. Use these to your advantage and perform to the best of your abilities. Note that your achievements in these subjects, or lack thereof, will also be on your permanent record._

_And finally, but most importantly, please refrain from doing anything that would come under the accepted definition of stupid (which you can find in the holodisc handbook attached to this message)._

_Do Irk proud, soldier._

_Your Grand and Powerful Leaders, Conquerors of the Universe, Unparalleled Rulers of Irk, the Almighty Tallest._

_P.S. As per request, your personal Standard-Issue Information Retrieval Unit, GIR, will be accompanying you. It has permission to enter all areas of the campus that you yourself are permitted to access, but only if accompanied by an Invader or member of staff with the appropriate clearance level._

~*~*~

Zim sighed and closed the transmission. He’d read it almost a hundred times, but the words seemed to have less meaning each time his eyes passed over them.

It had been exciting at first, the thought of going somewhere new, somewhere untouched by Irken influence, completely vulnerable to a well-planned hostile take-over. They wouldn’t know what hit them; he would be the hero of Irk and ruler of this new planet – nay, the whole star system! Or so he’d thought.

But that was over ten cycles ago.

He knew now that this was no ‘special mission’, no privilege or sign of _trust_. The word itself felt tainted just to think of, made Zim’s lips curl in distaste as he stared at the shitty little holodisc perched on his claw, the only correspondence he was left with, the only thing to remind him that he was still _technically_ an Irken Invader.

The Almighty Tallest didn’t trust Zim. In fact, if the way they practically abandoned him on this meagre excuse for a habitable satellite is anything to go by, it was clear that they felt quite the opposite.

This wasn’t a mission, it was an _exile_. And even then, there was no ceremony, no pomp and circumstance to make Zim at least believe that his removal from the planet was worth something. Just a message and a ship waiting in the bay with his name on it. He doubted that anyone even noticed he’d gone. Other than a few fellow Invaders, of course, ones that it might be appropriate to say he’d grown somewhat close to. But he stopped replying to their messages after only a few cycles. No point in prolonging the inevitable.

The worst thing, though, was that the ‘P.S.’ part always made him that little bit angrier, the way they talked about Gir as if he were no more than a tool. Gir himself was as naïve as ever of course, as oblivious to the way his empire laughed at him as Zim had once been. A part of Zim wished he could still be that way, blindly following orders and scrambling for attention, for the praise that would never come.

At least that was one positive about this ‘Academy’, he thought. Zim’s intelligence clearly outranked many, if not all, of the other species in his ‘classes’ (such a foolish name when they should not even be considered on the same scale as Zim). As such, the instructors here showered him with praise, gave him all the perks they could offer. Some of the other students tried the same, but Zim wouldn’t fall for their tricks. They were clearly just being nice to get him to let his guard down, share some vital information with them.

There was one, though. One who provided, dare he say, somewhat of a _challenge_ for Zim at almost every turn. You wouldn’t know it to look at them – to see their squishy, pink flesh-sack, with its blunt claws and teeth, not to mention the complete lack of basic sensory inputs – but this ‘human’ did not need physical abilities to be a threat.

This ‘Dib’, as Zim quickly learned to be the name of the human, had an ability that many races enslaved by the Irken army had failed to demonstrate; _intelligence_.

And intelligence was dangerous.

So far, the only danger the Dib human had actually posed was infuriating Zim to the point that he might do something to get himself expelled from the academy, but Zim could see what he might become. Not just because he sometimes managed to best Zim’s scores either; Dib’s personality was incorrigible, his voice carrying an air of unearned superiority every time he opened his mouth to spew forth whatever happened to be passing through his tiny human brain at the time. The fact that he was often right was of no importance.

 “Zim.”

Either way, he was a threat to be monitored for future elimination, when ‘preventing the continued existence of another student’ wasn’t a rule that Zim had to obey. Which was, of course, the only reason that Zim tolerated his presence.

“Zim.”

He assumed that Dib was behaving with the same goal in mind; Zim obviously challenged his stupid ideals of being top of the class.

“ZIM!”

The Irken flinched, almost dropping the holodisc and left with quivering antennae after composing himself.

“ _What_?” He hissed, whipping around to glare at his blockmate. “Can’t you see I’m _busy_.”

The alien – Zim called him that, but he guessed they were all aliens here – growled, ears flicking in annoyance. “Well _excuse me_ for trying to warn you about being late for class, next time I’ll just let you tarnish your nice perfect record.”

“I have told you, Troll, I do not need reminding, I am perfectly aware of the time at all- at all times.” Zim scowled for a second longer, then turned his back on the troll, trying to hide his sudden panic because he _wasn’t_ looking at the time, he let his guard down and was almost late to class; he was almost _stupid_.

“And I’ve told you, Irken, that my name is _Kar-kat_ ,” the troll pronounced each syllable carefully, as if talking to a smeetling. “But I guess that would be too ‘personal’ for you.”

“Yes, you are correct, now leave me alone,” Zim replied quickly, beginning to gather his things.

Luckily there wasn’t much. His pak had most objects that he might require, it was only the specific mandatory class materials that Zim needed to carry by hand – even the incredible Irken storage technology cannot deal with the frankly insane amount of resources that students were required to own.

He heard Karkat snort through that little round ‘nose’ of his, “Does this mean you don’t want to spar later, oh mighty Invader Zim?”

“What?” Zim frowned as he picked up the last holodisc. He was about to defend himself – simple words cannot make an Irken back down! – but then he saw the smirk on Karkat’s face. “Oh you Trolls and your ridiculous _sarcasm_. Rest assured that your inevitable defeat will occur at the scheduled time, but for now, I must gather more intelligence on the enemy.”

Karkat raised an eyebrow but said nothing else, except a quick, “Have fun,” as Zim marched out of their habitat block.

The glass tunnels encircling the main base were packed with students rushing between rooms, just like the Invader Institution back on Irk. Except with less hoverboards and more people tripping over their own damn appendages.

“Learn to walk, imbeciles,” Zim grumbled under his breath, ducking into the lecture hall just in time to avoid the retaliation of a keen-eared Grail.

He was not the last to arrive, but the Dib human was already sitting front and centre with that smug look of achievement, so as far as Zim was concerned, he might as well have walked in late.

“Zim,” Dib said as the Irken sat down a few spaces away from him.

“Dib,” Zim replied, just as curtly.

This was their usual greeting for the day, and the only thing they said to each other throughout the entire two-hour class. And the next. And the next. And the next. Even during breaks they would simply eat and drink in silence. None of their other classmates wanted to talk to them, or if they did, then they had the sense not to.

Zim’s schedule for the rotation was entirely theoretical sessions, something he hated but accepted as part of the ‘learning process’ – although he didn’t understand why these ‘teachers’ refused to use brainfeed technology. It was perfectly suitable for educating all races and could be accomplished in a fraction of the time, not to mention saving those subjected to it from the unending boredom of listening to some Karhan droning on in their monotonous tone. It was enough to make even a sturdy Irken soldier’s concentration wain.

“Dozing off, space boy?”

Zim’s whole body snapped to attention, half-closed eyelids pinging open. “ _No_.” He realised all too late that he shouldn’t have responded so quickly – given the speaker so much attention. Given _Dib_ his attention.

But alas, there the human was; chin resting on his hands with a look of amusement as he raised an eyebrow. “Then why were your eyes closed?”

Zim scoffed and said the first thing that came to mind – which for once, wasn’t half bad. “I was _resting them_ , I wanted to ensure that they did not _burn_ after having your sorry human form sneaking into the corner of my vision for hours.”

Dib sat up straight as his brow ventured further towards his hairline, but the Karhan professor spoke before he was able to argue back.

“Now, class,” they drawled. “Before we return to our usual programme of forcing information into your tiny, developing brain sacks, I have been given the task of assigning you partners for your intergalactic history research project this semester.”

Zim and Dib both jumped to their feet, “ _What_?” “ _Partners_?”

“Mizzy and Altor,” the professor began to call out names, unperturbed by their outburst. “Galfrie and Kanaya, Smoop and Coo-va, Dib and Zim-”

“ _No!_ ” They both shouted at once, immediately following up with a babble of arguments and insults until they were eventually just yelling at each other, as usual.

The professor sighed, then took a deep breath to expand their air sacs, before letting out a deafening honk to silence the bickering students.

“The two of you were paired because of your similar intellect and differing cultural policies, I do not make the rules and I cannot change them, and if you do not hand in your assignment _together_ by the next twenty-four rotations, you will both fail the unit and have to repeat the entire class,” their voice was as dull as ever, expression blank, but both Zim and Dib knew that there was no point in making a fuss, considering the consequences.

The boys sat down and quietly accepted their fate as the listing of pairs continued.

This was going to be a _long_ semester.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Invader Zim fic after getting back into the fandom for the first time in a long time. Wow I've missed it.
> 
> I'm not sure how regularly this will be updates as I'm going to be busy with my own university life, but I'll try not to leave too long between chapters.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this! Kudos and comments much appreciated, and have a good day/night.


End file.
